Am back in Spain, finally i should say, almost two months since i saw my spanish home latest! Europeans road race was not the greatest race of the year, finally a 12th place, after a break of 7 girls just managed to stay away on the line. We were only two girls from Sweden and has not much power to use in situations like that, you just have to be cool and hope the luck is there, but didnt work this day. So I have now done my last European championhip, where I last two years got myself home with a silver medal each year, which is super good, only a gold would have tasted a little better.. But new races and new opportunities! I had a couple of days rest to charge my batteries again, and have now done a couple of good trainings, preparing for the last part of the season.My schedule is ready, and I got the good news I will be doing the World Cup in Sweden, coming up next week! Always great to do such a big race on home soil. Looking forward to it and i have some bad luck from last couple of years to make up this time!

A bitter-sweet Silvermedal

15.07.2010, 05:30 PM

A silvermedal at the Time trial in the European championship!But at first it felt more like losing the gold then winning a silvermedal.I had high ambitions going in to this race, and somewhere in my head i had the dream of a goldmedal. Ended up on second place, earning a silvermedal, 11 seconds after Russian Alexandra Burchenkova, and Lithuanian Katazina Sosna on third place, 52seconds back.Not super much time up to the first place, but today she was the strongest.. And being able to defend my silvermedal from last year is something I have to be happy about. After all it's a medal in a championship and in a few days I might feel more satisfied with it.Next up is the road race on saturday, til then a lot of water and rest!

Back from Giro Donne

11.07.2010, 07:44 PM

Then the Giro Donne is over for me and im back home in sweden for a quick visit before i leave again tomorrow night, to travel further to Turkey.

The Giro was a nice experience, but i stepped out after stage 8, of 10, to get enough recovery for my Europeans Time trial coming up already on thursday. So what I missed was the epic day up to Stelvio and the final stage at Monza. The team had some awsome days, taking 5 stage wins, and a second place in GC, well done! Nice teamwork and for myslef a pretty good Time trial. Been some nice stages with a great scenary, in the end loads of climbing, with one stage of 89km including over 2300 highmeters of climbing up to the finish in Livingo. Thats also where my Giro ended, and now my focus is on Europeans next week in Ankara!

Swedish champion TT!

30.06.2010, 07:06 PM

Now the week of the Swedish national championships is over. I got back to Sweden from The states late last monday, and t was all abot to recover quick and be ready again for TT wednesday. Ofcourse nothing should go too smooth, so to make it a little more stressed my TT bike hadn'r arrived as it should from Belgium. So on the tuesday it looked like i wouldnt have a bike and i wasnt sure of a start the next day. But after some great tracking my dad could get the hands on it and drive up with it on wednesday morning! So with the bike problem and jetlag and the fact my shape is still not at top after my sickness, I didn't expect to that well i actually did.I started last as defending champion, and crossing the line after the 30km they announced new best time. Couldn't believe my eyes, didn't have any times during the course either so it was a nice surprise!I ended up winning the Time trial with a good 48 seconds up on Emma Johansson, and Sara Mustonen taking third. So that i managed to defend the title feels great and i will have another year in my blue and yellow skinsuite!

The road race was held on a lap of 34km done 4 times, including 4 times up Gesundaberget, a hard hill.It was hard from the start with Emma pushing the pace first time ine the hill, and a bit after my clubmate Karin went in a break with Marie Lindberg. So far according to plan, and i knew Emma would go hard next lap again in the hill to make it up to them. Turning in to the climb i missed the attack on my right side and had a gap of 10m on Emma, and thats impossible to close to such a strong rider. I saw my chances go as she went. My mistake, and i was in the group behind with 5 other girls and we worked good together but didnt make up any time. Emma won the race after a strong effoert coming in solo! I won the groupsprint for 6th place, not really happy about the result, but the feeling was okej, and I atleast feel im improving for every race now and slowly geting back again.

Next big goal coming is Europeans in 2 weeks, but got a late call-in a few days ago, so now im on a train to the airport flying to Italy for doing the Giro Donne!Am happy to get some racing in and it will be good, hard prepearation for Europeans, and a needed stage race for my legs as i missed L'aude earlier..Will be back with reports from my first Giro!

Nature Valley GP stage 4, 5 and 6

30.06.2010, 06:56 PM

Again long time since a note here..So first short back to Nature Valley. Stage 4, a critt in Minneapolis went again well for the team, we got a win with Chloe! And for me i also had a better feeling, much nicer course and i could ride more aggresive.Stage 5, first road race over a 122km. A hard day with steep rollers all day long, and we had Linda going of the front with another girl, and she took over the yellow after that stage. Last day a circuit race over 13 laps of a short course, basically just up and down this steep hill..We had the yellow to defend and the race went straight from the gun, with other team try to make it really hard. And it was. It splitted up totally already after a lap, and a smaller group went of the front a few laps in with Evelyn in. Me, Kim and Linda was in the small group that was left of the bunch, trying to make the gap smaller. It ended up with Evelyn winning the stage solo, really strong! But we lost the yellow.. For me it was a pretty good ride and i could do some help on that hard course, and my legs was very tired and more then ready to go straight to the airport and fly to Europe again, with the nationals TT coming up in 3 days..

Nature Valley stage 1, 2 and 3

18.06.2010, 08:28 PM

Nature Valley started out with a early morning Time trial on the wednesday, and no TT equipment was aloud. Was a nice course over 10km with the last kilometer uphill to the finish. I got a good ride in and ended on a 9th place, same time as the 8th.. Happy with that since i had many good names behind me. That ment i got to ride in the young riders jersey for the next stage.A double day on the program and Stage 2 in the evening, a criterium over 1h in downtown Saint Paul. Not the greatest course with some bad surface and corners, so was a whole lot of crashes. But it stayed all together and we got a very cool stage win with Chloe taking the sprint! Stage 3, a road race over 104 km, turned out to be something I never experienced before. During the day we heard they warned for thunderstorms and tornados later in the evening, but still looked good driving to the race, only very windy. Minutes before the start big black clouds just appears, so standing on the start line just minutes away from rolling off, they cancell the race, cause of the severe thunderstorm coming towards us. First race i have had cancelled, and there was nothing else then jump in the car and go back to the hotell...

So, now we are more then ready for stage 4, been out riding a couple of hours this morning, and tonite its time for a criterium in Minneapolis over 1h.

Sweden-Girona-Philadelphia-Canada-Minneapolis

16.06.2010, 12:53 AM

Time goes by fast, and got some new places visited lately.The chickenpox kept me out of Tour de L’aude, and stuck in bed for 2 whole weeks. Didn’t think it would affect me that hard, but now I atleast got that one out of me and that wont bother me ever again.Back on the bike its been about getting my body going again, slowly try to build up a base… It also changed my race program and instead of doing the races in Europe at this time, I went over to north America, to do Philadelphia Liberty classic, further on to Canada for two new races in Gatineau, and finally back again in the States I will this week compete in the Nature Valley Grand Prix, a 5 day race with 6 stages.Its been tough to get back to racing, Philly was a cool experience but a very hot day made it really hard out there. We did a good team effort and Ina won. Further to Canada, my first time in the country, we did a Time trial last saturday, where I ended 9th which im quite happy with, looking to my preparation. Sunday time for a Road race of 100km. A yet again very hot day and many attacks made also that day hard. Was up there in some good breaks and found a good race feeling again. Unfortunately in the end, we had some bad luck, leading out for the sprint through last round about 300m to go it all looked good with me first in and Chloe on my wheel, when she gets taken out from a girl ditching in from the side. Things that can happen, and I rolled in as 7th. Was a fun and aggressive race, but still lacking that power I felt before I got sick, but I can see a progress and now we have 5 exciting days ahead of us, before I on Sunday eve heading back to Sweden for the coming nationals.

The chicken pox result in no Tour de L'Aude

12.05.2010, 09:13 PM

I keep getting challenged, this time i caught the chicken pox a week ago. Been a rough week, and didnt recover yet, so wont be able to start in Tour de L'aude. Its really a big disspointment for me, since that race was really good for me last year, and i've been looking forward to this year's a lot.Not just missed out on a week of training, now also 10days of good racing, its a big set back, but now i just have to turn my disspointment, get healthy and get myself back there. Tomorrow i fly back to Sweden to get some family around me, and look forward to get up on the bike again.And all succes to the rest of the team for L'Aude, my fingers will be crossed!

The volcano effect...

16.04.2010, 08:35 PM

Yes, im stuck here in Girona, so wont be racing Ronde van Gelderland in Holland tomorrow as the plan was.It's been 3 weeks since last race and i was more then motivated to be at the startline again, and get the race speed back in to my legs, but just have to wait yet another week before im in the bunch again. It's a pity, but not really much you can do about. The day started out with a trip to the caotic airport this morning to stand in a long, long line, just to get told what we kind of knew, we wont be able to get to Holland until tomorrow. So back home it was just to take out the trainingclothes from the bag and go for a ride. Just to make sure this day will stay in my memory my shifter broke down at the furthest away point in my ride, and, literally, i then had a little black cloud follow me over my head, pouring down at me. And yes, my bike was ofcourse cleaned yesterday..Not one of my best days maybe, but i can't do else then laugh about it all. My luck must be waiting around the corner!And hopefully some is with the girls in the team racing tomorrow!

Paella night and a good ride

06.04.2010, 03:12 PM

Just got back in from a very nice training. Today was one of those days the time just passed by and the efforts wasn't such a big pain as usual. At home now after 4 hours, ofcourse tired legs and a little hungry, but that was 4 fast hours. I like days like this! Weather got worse so i think i re-schedule my planned afternoon coffe at a sunny sqaure to watching come cycling on tv. Not to bad that either!

Yesterday i had a good restday, spending the evening with 3 australian girls, Chloe, Josie and Sarah, and we went for a Paella dinner with a glas of good wine. Very good with some nice girltime and also first time i ever tried paella, which was about time..

A well planned sleep-in

04.04.2010, 07:32 PM

Today i put my alarm at 10 o'clock, and I can be happy i did! Woke up to a black sky and loads of rain, put my mind to go on the roller instead, but after a nice, long breakfast and a few cups of coffe it started to clear up, and by the time i went out it was dry and sunshine! Had a good ride doing some lactat efforts, and decided to take the slightly longer way home to get a nice spinn out, and i almost had to pay back for it when I, just a few kilometers from home, felt a few drops from the sky. But i made it home safe and dry, and been enjoying the afternoon on the caugh infront of the final of Ronde van Vlaanderen, smiling at the again, pouring rain on the window! Thats what I call good timing..

Spring in Girona!

02.04.2010, 07:54 PM

Landed back in Spain on tuesday after a long travel, but managed to stay up and havent really felt the jetlag at all, til today. Woke up at 4 and was sure it should be time to get up, but the display said only 3:54. Clear awake, went up for couple of hours, and then i luckily could close my eyes for 2more hours til alarm went off at 8. So, not too bad at all this time either!

First maybe a few words about last stage of Redlands, which turned out to a big succes for the team! Evelyn taking the stage win, after an amazing ride with working all day, Ina making it a 1-2 and also defending the yellow! I didnt have the greatest day, and as Ina said before, if the legs don't work, you can't fake it. It's such a tough course, and i've been having some problems with my airpipes and lungs beacuse of a known reason, and last stage i just didn't have much at all. Managed to finish the race atleast in the group behind what was the first maingroup.

Back here in Girona the weater is awesome! The air is so fresh and its just spring feelings all over the place. It gives me so much energy and i was out walking in town this afternoon, with a big smile on my face. Will be here for another two weeks before next race, so will be time to build up and hope to improve on both shape and health!For now i wish you all a happy easter weekend! Would like to have shared mine with friends and family in Sweden, where also all the good easter eggs are...

Redlands stage 3

28.03.2010, 05:58 AM

Team looks happy but cold before the start of stage 2

Then the third stage of Redlands is done, and as usual it was a really hot day!A 1 hour critt was on the program, so after a looong nights sleep (crashed to bed at 8:30 yesterday) i woke up not too annoyed by the alarm for a 1h spinn in the morning. Weather was already great by then and hotter it became.

The race went even better then planned, after 30min it was time for the first intermediate bonus sec sprint, so we did a good lead out for Ina that got the seconds, and then the pace stayed very high since attacks kept going, ending up with having Ina in a break of 8girls, with girls from all the main teams, and having Amber in yellow still in the bunch. Was a perfect situation, and it worked all way, making the gap up to more then 1minute, we now have Ina in yellow for tomorrow's last, and very hard, stage!

Myself got a nice end to the race having a puncture with 1,5laps to go. Had to make a bike change in the neutral service pit and got this huge, yellow mavic bike, with normal pedals and cages, and best of all, SRAM. So frenetically trying to stay on the bike with the too high sadel and great match with my pedals I tried to shift, but it just got heavier and heavier. And struggeling up the finish straight drag with one lap to go, almost same time as the lead group came in for the sprint, I just deeply hope that the big yellow thing didnt ruin the nice pictures from the sprint..Made it to the finish after another bike change and finally got the same time as the bunch since it happended within last 3km.Another hard day in the legs, and tomorrow it will be worse, doing 9laps on the sunset circuit, basically going up and down this big hill. But we have a nice jersey to defend, so now it's time to catch some sleep.

Redlands stage 2

27.03.2010, 12:03 AM

Today it was a road race on the agenda, first a loop of 20km then 3 loops of 30km.And i have to say it was a really hard day! Some up and down and a KOM hill at every lap made me and my legs tired. Our plan worked out pretty well, with working to get Ina seconds in the bonus sprints. Also nicely finished off with her taking the stage win and another 10 bonus seconds. Was some hard work during the day, fighting for wheels, covering attacks to make it to the sprints and make it up that hill. But worked out well in the end and thats worth the pain. Now, after standing in the cold pool for the legs and a good massage, im hoping for greater leggs in tomorrow's criterium! It's a really fun, fast course, which i managed to win 2 years ago.

So, its about time to leave a note here again, i know... Been busy traveling california, and there also been some nice sunshine...

Back on the race track, and that feels great! Maybe not all the painful moments i've been through, to get my legs woken up, but to going again is just what i need!Last weekend we did San Dimas stage race, with 3 days of racing. It included a hill timetrial as start, which was the first taste of racing again for me since a long while, and my legs and body quickly reminded... Next on was a road race on a shorter circuit, bit up and down all day, and also first time racing without radio. Last day finished off with a criterium, which was very fast, so over all a good weekend of racing. For myself no result to make a nice topic here, but having Ina winning the GC after an incredible ride in the critt, we could move on pleased with the weekend to next destination, Redlands.

(San Dimas road race, foto credit velonews)

After a couple of realxing days in this amazing house here, where we are lucky to get to stay every year, recovered and with new energy we today took on to the Redlands bicycle classic.So today we did the prolog, a really hard course over 5km, finishing on top of this really steep climb. Ive done it 2 years before, so i kind of knew how painful it would be..Did an OK ride today, and finished at spot 15, they say the times were slower this year, but i rode same as last year so thats a good thing. With Amber Neben winning the race, you can see there is some quality in the field, and we had Evelyn in on third! With todays painful part over, im now gonna go enjoy a massage and prepare for tomorrow, and tonite we are gonna have a barbeque here in the nice weather. California is pretty neat!

16.03.2010, 06:47 AM

Guess i've been pretty busy last days, since no writing here.. And we've had some real good days!Could start up riding again fully to schedule on saturday, after being done with my antibiotics, and I already felt a lot better just without that in my body any longer. So have had a good 3 day block of riding, geting some hours in again, and finally i've been able to do my favourite roads here! The views still as amazing and the climbs hurted just as much.. And today was the first day i could wear short-short in the ride! The weather has really picked up and today i past the beach during my ride, where it was loads of people. Guess that's all i will see from the beach though, since we are leaving in a couple of days heading south for the races this weekend!But except from training there's also been time for doing some other nice stuff, yesterday we had a real american eve, with mexican food, frozen yoghurt, finished off going to the movies (which we actually been doing twice... yes all three things..) So we are enjoying the time and this afternoon left some space for a little shopping trip in town and thai for dinner.

So pretty tired after finally spending a lot of time at the bike again, im tomorrow gonna enjoy a restday, which i havent yet decided how to be spended! Only to start with, no alarm...

It's a nice feeling being back riding the bike and get tired from some kind of actual movement and not just from being sick stuck in bed-tired. I have only been starting up easy and steady since im stil under medication, but believe me, after a week more or less off the bike, 3h can really kill you. So it will be some work, and time to get back there, but it could be worse hey! There is still time and the weather is with me here...After lunch, coffe and new energy the afternoon will be spended with TT bike fitting, so now back in the bikeclothes..

Finally back to the bike

08.03.2010, 07:51 PM

Am back in San luis obispo again after the weekend in Merced. Became a pretty long weekend for me, not being able to ride my bike, but the team scored 3 wins so that was a great part!With my cold persistently stuck, not getting any better I’ve since two days been on antibiotics, and now it seems to finally be going in the right direction.So now I’m just about to jump up on my bike and get my legs slowly moving again!And it's sunshine...

A happy group in Merced mall

No TTT

05.03.2010, 06:23 PM

We drove up to Merced yesterday afternoon, after a ride in San luis obispo in the morning.Yesterday we also took the decision i wont do the team time trial, im not healthy yet. Better focus on get fully healthy so i can get as most as possible out of the coming weeks here. So today will mostly be spended in this nice bed, hoping for my body to recover.Except from my health im really enjoying my time here and looking forward to this next few weeks!